The metaphysical dogmas of natural science

1
The metaphysical dogmas of natural science

• Peder A. Tyvand
• Department of mathematical sciences and
  technology
• UMB
• PhilSci Forum UMB 9 June 2011

2
Why are there scientists?

• Any civilized society needs groups that
• Search for truth
• Formulate basic principles for thinking
• Follow these basic principles
• Have an independent position
• Can present their views and criticise power
  structures in society without risk

3
Where do we find search for truth, basic thinking
and independence?

• In politics? No focus on truth pragmatism.
• In the media? Not much basic thinking.
• In the arts? Not much independence of the market.
• In the academia? Well, our basic funding comes
  from the state. Can the state support our search
  for truth, with basic thinking independent of the
  same state? We need protected time for basic
  independent thinking. Our research minister
  complained this week that we are not applied
  enough in academia. Why dont we scream back for
  applied politicians instead of pragmatic ones?

4
Obstacles to free academic thinking

• Funding by the state Meant to guarantee free
  thinking. Is this true today? State funding is
  becoming an instrument for political control of
  science, instead of guarantee of freedom.
• All fields have metaphysical dogmas, implicit or
  explicit. Often these dogmas are only known
  implicitly.They may be protected quite
  automatically by insider terminology and barriers
  of technicality.
• Scientific communities tend to protect their
  dogmas. People from other communities are not
  often welcomed to correct these dogmas. Inside a
  community you are not asked to formulate the
  dogmas, but to follow them.
• The so-called scientific consensus is a
  deceptive instrument for keeping unwanted ideas
  out of leading circles. Not scientific, since any
  consensus is political.

5
Metaphysics meets science

• Causality What is a natural law?
• Optimizations and purpose in nature
• Documentation What is a proof?
• What is an instinct?
• What is conciousness?
• Just luck that we are here? The antropic
  principle
• The characteristics of man
• Ethics Is morals just lack of opportunities?

6
Skepticism at the border to naivismKnowledge
as opposite to belief?

• What is the scientific meaning of knowledge?
• When something has been proven, it becomes a part
  of our knowledge?
• Natural science consists of everything that has
  been proven?
• Everything that has been proven must be
  absolutely certain?
• What is a proof in the first place?

7
Self-evident anti-metaphysics? Seven dogmas of
positivism Strong version

1. Causality is objective and controlled by reason
2. All scientific proofs should become objective
3. Objective proof exists, controlled by reason
4. Life has been explained exhaustively as evolved
   by natural processes
5. The principles of causality and analogy are
   absolutely valid in theology and history
6. Mankind is universally autonomous in ethics
7. Information is a fully materialistic concept
8. Mankind is nothing but an advanced animal

8
Metaphysics of common sense? Seven dogmas of
positivism Mild version

1. Objective causality as controlled by reason
2. Objective scientific proof is aimed for
3. Life seen as evolved by natural processes
4. The principles of causality and analogy in
   theology (historical criticism)
5. Mankind as ethically autonomous
6. Information as a materialistic concept
7. Mankind seen as an advanced animal

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My disbelief in the seven metaphysical dogmas of
positivism

• Objective causality lies outside our reason
• The objective scientific proof does not exist
• Life is not reducible to natural processes
• No principles of causality and analogy can apply
  to unique historical events
• Mankind needs non-pragmatic ethics
• Information is hierarchical, not materialistic
• Mans conciousness is irreducible
• Any denial of metaphysics is indeed metaphysical

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On the dogmas of positivism that apply to
natural science

• What is causality according to the laws of
  nature? What is the role of our reason?
• What is a scientific proof? Are there limitations
  to what can be proven scientifically?
• Is there any fundamental difference between the
  processes of life and the natural processes in
  dead matter?
• Can we define information scientifically?
• Can we define the conciousness of man?

11
Dogma 4 What is information? It is metaphysical
on five levels

• Signals or symbols (letters A, B, C,..)
• The formulation conventions associating symbols
  with language sounds
• The words written as sequences of these letters
  (software, DNA-sequences)
• The meaning of a message or the actions that
  follow (hardware, biochemistry)
• The intention or purpose behind the message

12
Dogma 4 What is information? The two
algorithmic levels

• An algorithm is a message coded as a sequence of
  symbols (software) that is brought into action
  (hardware). The formulation level (software) is
  superior and comes before the action (hardware).
• The action level (hardware) interprets the
  instructions and put them into action. The
  instructions come from above to the action level.
• Feedback control systems take information from
  the action
• level and puts back into the formulation.
• An algorithm can stop and fail to do what it is
  meant to do.
• An algorithm can be distroyed and disappear
  completely.
• The dead nature has none of these algorithmic
  properties.

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Dogma 1 What is causality? Algorithmic versus
non-algorithmic causality

1. Causality in the dead nature is non-algorithmic
   There is no observable formulation, only action.
   There is no quantization of time. Humans
   formulate natural laws, but our formulations do
   not affect the action that goes on out there.
2. All biological causality is algoritmic. From
   formulation (DNA) follows action (biochemistry).
3. There is non-biological algoritmic causality, by
   man-made machines. With or without feedback
   control.

14
Dogma 1 What is causality? Algorithmic versus
non-algorithmic causality

1. Causality in the dead nature is non-algorithmic
   An inverted pendulum falls due to instability.
2. All biological causality is algoritmic A man can
   stabilize a physical pendulum. http//www.youtube.
   com/watch?vTfafuXdIAvw
3. Non-biological algoritmic causality An inverted
   pendulum can be stabilized by a man-made machine
   with feedback control. http//www.youtube.com/watc
   h?vAZhQt7HOSWo

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Dogma 1 What is causality? Causation is forward
in time

• Cause and effect cannot be split. The cause needs
  its effect to be a cause. The effect needs its
  cause to be an effect. The link between cause and
  effect is essentially metaphysical.
• It is not correct to say that the effect follows
  after its cause in time. Nevertheless causation
  often involves a time arrow It is forward in
  time.
• There is no causation backward in time. This is
  an important constraint in cybernetics (feedback
  control).

16
Dogma 1 What is causality? Forward causation in
natural science

• Forward causation There exists a time arrow.
• A time arrow may be imported into a reversible
  system. (i) By a radiation condition. (ii) By a
  first cause, like a mass source or energy source
  being turned on.
• The second law of thermodynamics (entropy law)
  has a time arrow. Heat diffusion backwards from a
  smooth initial state becomes singular after
  finite time. Singular means hot spots will then
  arise, which must have other causes We cannot
  look backwards beyond a hot spot.
• Mild catastrophies We cannot look behind an
  inelastic collision. Thus the present is not the
  key to the past.

17
Dogma 2 Proof versus belief The five
categories of proof

• Mathematical/logical proof
• Empirical proof
• Historical proof
• Eyewitness proof
• Proof in the legal sense (in court)

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(i) Matematical/logical proof

• A mathematical/logical is clarified by
  considering it
• backwards
• A matematical/logical proof takes a sentence
• (theorem) back to its basic postulates (axioms).
• Formalized axioms come into being after (not
• before) a theory has been developed intuitively.
• A proof does not abolish the belief, but tells us
  
• concisely/economically what we need to believe.
• We must believe in the axioms.
• We must believe in the rules of reasoning.

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(ii) Empirical proof

• A causal relationship in nature is that a certain
  
• effect follows from a given set of causes.
  General
• causal relationships are called natural laws. A
• natural law cannot be verified on the basis of
• logical reasoning alone. A natural law must be
• verified by empirical proofs. An empirical proof
  is
• nothing but a long series of failed attempts to
• disprove the natural law (hypothetical-deductive
• method). Our belief in natural causation is not
• rooted in our understanding, but in our habit. We
  
• accept it because we get used to it (David Hume).

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(iii) Historical proof

• Historical proofs include all observable facts
  left by
• a certain historical event. A unique event that
  one
• is supposed to describe as objectively as
  possible
• (by research). Natural science certainly needs
• historical proofs in fields like biology, geology
  and
• astronomy. There is no way that unique events in
• the past can be understood exhaustively by
• empirical proofs (repeated experiments in our
• present time). Historical proofs are never
  absolute,
• so one has to add belief to arrive at conclusions.

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(iv) Eyewitness proof

• All cases in the court have to be viewed as
  unique
• historical events. The courts needs a class of
  proof
• in addition to historical proofs
• Eyewitness proof
• Eywitnesses who has survived and saw the event
• closely can give their version of what happened.
• In natural science, eyewitnesses are useful in
• connection in natural hazards. The credibility of
  an
• eyewitness proof rests upon the credibility of
  the
• witness.

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(v) Legal proof

• Legal proof is a general category that puts
  together a total
• picture in order to judge the metaphysical causes
  behind a
• chain of events Guilt and responsibility. Legal
  proof
• includes all the four previous categories of
  proof.
• Traditionally the two last categories are the
  most important
• ones. Two exceptions DNA-traces involve
  empirical proof
• (category 2). A legal alibi should be judged
  logically
• (category 1).

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Dogma 3 The processes of life versus dead matter

• Life is algorithmic, based on information. The
  two hierarchical levels of information are
• 1) Formulation in DNA (software)
• 2) Execution in terms of biochemistry, starting
  with RNA-assisted reading of DNA (hardware)
• Dead matter is non-algorithmic.There is no
  formulation of the processes of dead matter in
  nature. There is only repeated action, which we
  call causality. The fundamental natural processes
  in time are continuous, not discrete.

24
Dogma 5 Definition of conciousness

• Conciousness of man cannot be defined by man
• All attempts of defining conciousness assume that
  there is an operative conciousness This is a
  self-destructive self-reference
• Conciousness is based metaphysically, still it is
  partly observable
• We must be satisfied with characterizing
  conciousness instead of attempting in vain to
  define it
• We cannot characterize conciousness exhaustively
• A decent mathematical criterion for the emergence
  of conciousness will never emerge

25
Alternatives to these five dogmas of positivism

• The link between cause and effect in nature is
  metaphysical. Our relationship to the laws of
  nature consists of attempts at formulation and
  habits of observation. Based on pure reason, we
  have no idea why these laws actually work.
• Scientific proofs are never absolute. They come
  in three distinct categories Mathematical/logical
  , empirical and historical.
• The basic difference between life and dead matter
  is that life is algorithmic, based on
  information.
• Information is metaphysical and has distinct
  hierarchical levels. The level of formulation
  (software) is superior to the level of execution
  (hardware).
• Conciousness of man is metaphysical and not
  subject to exhaustive scientific description and
  understanding.

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Not all natural laws are causal

• 1) Force laws in nature are causal. The cause can
  be the distribution (of masses or charges), and
  the effect is the resulting force.
• 2) Time evolution laws are causal. Newtons 2nd
  law, the Faraday and Ampere laws, the
  time-dependent Schrodinger equation.
• Non-causal laws are Conservation principles,
• balance laws, postulates, optimization
  principles,
• constitutive laws. Process laws (entropy law) are
  
• also causal, but in a statistical sense.

27
The metaphysics of argumentation philosophy

• The so-called logic of Arne Næss (a positivist
• argumentation philosophy) is an anti-metaphysical
  
• program. Self-contradictory since it is
  metaphycially
• based. Let us reveal the metaphysics in three
  basic
• concepts of Næss, by impossible self-references
• Presicion Make your precision concept precise!
• Definition Define your definition concept!
• Interpretation Interpret your interpretation
  concept!

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Metaphysics in informatics

• Information is a metaphysical and hierarchical
  concept. Five hierarchical levels (1) Symbols
  (2) Coding (3) Message (4) Action (5) Purpose
• Computer programs are hierarchical recipes
  (algorithms) that are formulated and executed.
• Bootstrapping problem How to teach a computer to
  read a program. How can the computer read that it
  has to read?
• The halt problem for Turing-machines (Gödel).

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Metaphysics in mathematics

• The natural numbers are given. Decimal system of
  10 fingers.
• Alle other number systems are human constructions
  motivated by calculations like division, square
  roots etc.
• The contradiction principle A statement is not
  true and false at the same time. This is a
  necessary dogmatic basis for all mathematical
  reasoning.
• Gödels teorem says that all axiomatic systems
  are incomplete.
• Gödels teorem is illustrated by Russells
  paradox A barber shaves all
  men in his town that do not shave themselves.
  Will this barber shave himself?
• Mathematical proofs are hierarchical algorithms.
• Set and infinite are metaphysical concepts of
  mathematics.

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Metaphysics in physics paradoxical?

• All physics have an implicit basis outside
  physics.
• Space, time and mass are metaphysically based.
• Dualism of waves versus particles (photons,
  electrons).
• Two different mass concepts Inertial mass and
  gravitational mass. Measurements show that these
  are the same to high accuracy (no theoretical
  proof available).
• Energy is an explicitly metaphysical concept
  Ability of performing mechanical work. Energy
  cannot be observed in its pure form, only as a
  specific category of energy.
• Gravitation is described quantitatively by
  Newtons law of gravity and the relativistic
  curvature of the space/time continuum. This
  leaves the phenomenon of gravitation
  non-understood. The action at a distance of
  gravity cannot be grasped by our reason
• Optimization principles in nature Fermat
  principle of light. Maximal water transport in
  channels. Lagrange mechanics.

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Metaphysics in chemistry

• What is the direction of a chemical reaction?
  Natural reactions tend to reduce the available
  free energy.
• Chemical reactions that build free energy are
  based on catalysis. A catalyst promotes a certain
  chemical reaction, but comes out as unchanged
  after the reaction. Example Electrolysis of
  water. The metal stics (electrodes) are the
  catalysts.
• All catalysis is algorithmic, and needs
  information in order to work. A source of
  information is needed in order to structure the
  imported energy so that free energy can be built
  up in a system (by catalysis).
• Valence is a concept that is superior to quantum
  mechanics. Valence cannot be defined by physics.

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Metaphysics in biology

• Life is algorithmic Recipies turned into action.
• Algoritmic formulation (software) The coding in
  DNA (46 chromosoms in humans). The DNA spiral has
  four letters (A,G,C,T) forming triplets
  4x4x464 codings of 20 amino acids
• Algoritmic execution (hardware) RNA-controlled
  reading of DNA and realization by means of amino
  acids
• What is conciousness? Impossible to define All
  theories on conciousness assume conciousness.

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Some hard-boiled metaphysical dogmas in natural
science

• A reductionist dogma All building of structures
  are bottom-up. Example Evolution
• A dogma of symmetry Physics is beautiful and as
  symmetrical as possible. Examples String theory
  and the Higgs particle.
• A dogma of interaction All forces between
  bodies are due to mutual exchange of particles.
  Example The graviton (a fictitious gravity
  particle, probably non-existent).

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Conclusions (1)

• All philosophy of science should have the
  algorithm concept in its focus.
• Algorithms in natural science are linked to the
  Aristotle concept of cause, and to the Greek
  logos concept of the New Testament.
• Algorithms are hierarchical and leaves no room
  for reductionism.
• Algorithms are formulated recipies that are
  brought into action.
• All life is algorithmic. All algorithms assume
  life.

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Conclusions (2)

• Knowledge must be based on metaphysics. Knowledge
  based politically on power is not knowledge.
• All metaphysical monopolies are bad. It does not
  matter if they are explicit or implicit.
• An intellectual ideal To reveal all metaphysics.
• Camouflage of metaphysics is an anti-intellectual
  project, even if it is equipped with an aura of
  scientific prestige.

36
Conclusions (3)

• The established opposition of belief versus
  knowledge are artificial and old-fashioned. These
  are due to the historical influence of
  reductionism and positivism on natural science.
• The power of positivism in natural science is
  fictitious, built on contradictions, superficial
  rhetorics, political power and prestigeous
  vanity.
• Already mathematics in its very basis is
  anti-reductionistic. It is non-causal and
  algorithmic, built on axioms.
• All human knowledge is built algorithmically.
• The laws for the dead nature are non-algorithmic.
• Causality in nature comes to us from outside, and
  does not have its roots in human thinking.

37
Conclusions (4)

• Natural science has been attacked by a harmful
  program of anti-metaphysics for over 200 years.
• All fields in science have their metaphysics.
  Implicit metaphysics is dangerous because it is
  based on power and takes the focus away from
  reasoning.
• All intellectual activity should aim at making
  metaphysics available in explicit formulation. An
  unbiased judgement of lines of reasoning should
  have top priority.